THE BIRDS

THE BIRDS is Alfred
Hitchcock's last true masterpiece, coming at the end of his greatest
period of filmmaking. But it's also a maddening and frustrating
film, more noted for its technical virtuosity than any thematic or
social import. Hitchcock's determination to keep the reasons for
the bird attacks vague does not necessarily open THE BIRDS to several
interpretations (as he had hoped), but instead renders the film a more
trivial exercise in gratuitous horror. There's simply not enough
subtext in the film to justify deep interpretation. Yet it
remains a gripping viewing experience, owing to its omnipresent
suspenseful tone and the truly frightening bird-attack set
pieces. In the end, THE BIRDS remains an experiment in pure
filmmaking, rather than meaningful filmmaking, but its strengths are
enough that Hitchcock attains greatness by breaking all the rules. ½ -
JL

In the career of many a popular artist comes
the moment when all the cries of "Genius!" goes to his or her
head. THE BIRDS is that moment for Alfred Hitchcock. The
bird attacks are as good as anything Hitchcock has ever done, but what
comes in between these attacks is often flat and dull. The
decision to not spell out the reason for the attacks is one of the
films weaknesses, and the ending is a supreme disappointment. And
yet THE BIRDS it is still worth watching because, yeah, Hitch is a
genius. But it will never be one of my favorites. -
JB